It's been a great while!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 3:11 am

It's been a great while since I've written a blog on Gardenstew. As many of you may know about three years ago I was diagnosed with a form of cancer. I had some surgery and was told that it was all removed. But, I have this medication that I was going to have to take for about five years, once a day. I haven't had a problem with the cancer since then but with the medication. It has many side effects and one is lethargic. Some days I have trouble making myself get started doing anything.
I try to do at least something every day. I am still sewing the aprons and tote bags and now reusable shopping bags without the lining that tote bags have in them. I sell them at a monthly flea market. It isn't open in the winter months or if the weather is bad.
I had a smaller garden in the past year but it didn't do real well because it was also very hot and dry. Everything had to be watered daily. We are on a well with several other houses so had to be careful not to use more than we really needed. There are animals that need the water, too. The landlord recently dug a large pond that is gradually filling up with rainwater. It will be used for watering the animals and gardens, etc. It will save the well water for people usage.
My tomatoes did well and some peppers that I had in front. Our biggest enjoyment this past year or two have been our birds. We have two big bird feeders and a sunflower feeder. We have lots of cardinals, sparrows, wrens, quail, and doves. There are sometimes blue birds and blue jays and some small yellow birds. I've forgotten their names. In about a month the winter weather will have receded enough that I can start to plant some cool weather plants.
We are thinking of making a great change in our living arrangements though.
Our sons have decided that at our advanced age we need to be living close to one of them. The one that has been chosen lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We went to visit for Thanksgiving. I was raised in Wisconsin so it will be like going home again. We will be living in a senior housing complex so I'm not sure how much gardening we will be able to do. There are community gardens where you can have a space to grow a vegetable garden and there are balconies for growing potted plants. We could also maybe grow something out at our son's place.
We have been keeping ourselves busy doing other things. We belong to a writer's group that meets monthly and we belong to a Tuesday night club that meets every Tuesday night at a local restaurant and chats and tell stories and generally keep things a bit lively so we don't fall into a rut. I enjoy writing and so does dr.
It's been a wet winter, no snow, but a lot of rain so I think a garden will do much better this summer. I will start some seeds and if we leave our neighbor can use them. There are some children old enough to have an interest in gardens now.
I will try to come more often now and write about daily happenings. I do that on facebook for our boys, just to keep them up to date on our doings around here.

dooley

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eileen wrote on Tue Dec 30, 2014 10:11 am:

Big changes afoot for you and DR Dooley. Will the weather be very different in Wisconsin? Maybe the temperatures will be cooler in summer for you both. It's good to know that you'll still have some garden space to work on there.
We've had lots of rain this winter too and some really hard frosts. The snow has been minimal though with only one lot lying for a few days.
I'm hoping to get some tulip bulbs planted when the ground defrosts.

Frank wrote on Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:08 am:

Hi Dooley, that's definitely a big change of scenery for you and DR. Keep us updated and we'll be of support to you during your move!
Did they doctors warn of the lethargy side effect or did it surprise you?

Sjoerd wrote on Wed Dec 31, 2014 1:16 am:

Hiya Dooley,

Sooooooo you guys are due for a move, eh? It sounds exciting that you will be going back to your roots.

I have missed your posting on here enormously...and I do hope that you will begin again when you feel like it.

This really was a newsy blog.

Great to hear from you again.